THE TAKEOVER – Cara Tanamachi
St. Martin’s Griffin
ISBN: 978-1250842282
January 30, 2024
Contemporary Romance

Chicago, Illinois – Present Day

How would you feel if the guy you competed against in high school at almost every turn ends up being part of a company that is bidding to take over the one you work for? That is what Nami faces in THE TAKEOVER. It’s her thirtieth birthday and out of the blue, old nemesis Jae Lee texts her to say that he will see her soon. Nami is dreading that he will be at the surprise birthday party that her mother is throwing for her, but after she arrives, he is not there. Maybe he was just mocking her like he used to do in high school. Back then, they were always competing for something or the other, and he barely beat her out as valedictorian at their school graduation. But when Nami arrives at work, she discovers what Jae Lee meant. He is part of the takeover team.

Of course, Nami isn’t happy to see Jae, but he is jovial and seems sincere about helping the company she works for as they navigate the takeover bid. As they work together, she soon discovers that he may not be the bad guy she had always thought him to be. They start to hang out and even get mistaken for being girlfriend/boyfriend. But it’s only friendship, right? There is still a takeover bid going on, though it appears that her employer might be going in a different direction. Will their newfound friendship lead to something more? What happens in the end with the takeover? Will everyone end up happy?

Added into the mix of Nami’s new friendship with her old rival, Jae, readers will be introduced to her family in THE TAKEOVER. Her sister, Sora, is getting married to Jack, a nice guy, but their mother is driving the bride-to-be crazy with her need to control everything about the wedding. Nami recently ended her engagement to a guy who cheated on her and had already experienced her mother’s need for control. Nami advises Sora to tell her mother that she has her own ideas for the wedding. But will her sister get the nerve to actually say those words? The engagement debacle has left a bad taste in Nami’s mouth as she put all her faith into one man, and he failed her. As such, she is not looking for another trip down the aisle. But it’s not like Jae Lee would be her choice of a groom, right?

Readers will laugh and cry at Nami’s upside-down life in THE TAKEOVER. Her co-workers are an eccentric bunch and Nami fits in well with them. Jae is an unexpected addition to her life. Will it mean a possible future together for them? An enjoyable tale, you can find out what happens to them by grabbing a copy of THE TAKEOVER.

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today

4.5 stars rounded to 5 for goodreads

This is the second book I’ve read from this author and I really enjoyed it. The humor is perfect. I laughed out loud so many times, more than I normally would. I love the cast of characters, especially the FMCs coworkers. That second epilogue was *chefs kiss* perfect and I was laughing through the entire thing. Left me smiling long after I finished the book. It’s a quick entertaining read. The author definitely rode the fine line between hate and love to the point that in the beginning I was truly wondering how she would pull off a romance from these two characters, one of which clearly hated the other. And the scenes at the ramen place and the aftermath were both hysterical and perfectly written showing the true competitiveness between these characters. Definitely recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and the author for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Takeover is Cara Tanamachi's follow-up to her debut The Second You're Single, following the previous heroine's younger sister Nami. Instead of friends to lovers, it is now enemies to lovers. Nami Reid is a hip tech start-up CEO and lawyer, freshly 30 and newishly single. Her company is in dire financial straits and entertaining buyouts from less than scrupulous companies. Of course this is the perfect entry for her childhood nemesis Jae Lee who is the wolf for the big bad company. That means sparks are going to fly both in the boardroom and in the bedroom.!

The banter was on point. The Hell Ramen incident hilarious (and totally something I would do!). I continue to love the Reid family and all their mother-daughter drama across generations. Sora's character continues in a minor story line in this book, and maybe I wanted even a little more of the sister story (and at least one comedic Larry the one-eyed rescue dog incident to show up). Overall, this was a cutesy rom-com that achieved its purpose in chasing away my winter blues.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

I liked this book. It was entertaining, but I feel like it was missing something.
My issue was that I didn't like Jae all that much. I found him pretentious and full of himself. I can understand why Nami never really liked him; he's a total jerk. All he cares about is money, and there wasn't enough character development for me to see how that truly changed. Sure, the ending cleared some things up for his character, but I don't think he would have done those things if he hadn't loved Nami. He didn't have enough substance.

I did like how much this book made me laugh. The Ramen scene was hilarious, and I still think about it. I also liked the work dynamics between Nami and her team. They seem like a lively group of people, which I enjoyed reading about.

I rated this a 3/5

Nami and Jae share the best rivals/enemies to lovers ever. Their witty banter and sarcasm makes them entertaining and lovable. Her pride and joy Toggle is more than a company, it’s her baby. I love how close she is to her employees, they aren’t just coworkers, they are a family. Jae’s views of good and bad change and make him even more of a catch. Both their families are adorable and add to the fun upbeat read

First thank you to st martins press and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis: Nami is still trying to get over her broken engagement when she finds out her company is not getting their latest round of funding that their company desperately needs. The only hope is her high school nemesis Jae Len. Will he rescue her and her company in time?

What I liked: I have spent a lot of years in product development often being the only woman on the team. I always welcome more representation of woman in tech leadership roles. It does not focus on technology and seems to simplify the tech world too much. It also seemed outdated but that happens since tech does move so fast. However it focuses on the enemy to lovers romance story. In that regards, it does a nice job of bringing them together and establishing their tension. I enjoyed that part and thought that was good especially if you are a fan of that troupe. I also enjoyed the family members in both Nami and Jae Len stories. It provided some depth to the story and characters. I would have liked to see more tech focus but guess I’ll keep searching.

Never wish for what you want for you just might get it should be the tagline for this book. This was mostly a fun enemies to lovers listen that is filled with humor and wit as well as the anticipated happily ever after. I loved that Nami (female main character) was portrayed as a strong smart woman in a leadership position in positive manner. The writing was riotous and often had me cracking up. Enter or rather, reenter Jae her high school nemesis. The snark flies and the chemistry sizzles. Along with a great supporting cast and wonderful narration it was an enjoyable listen. The reason I rated didn’t rate higher was that I was somewhat bothered how quickly the book wrapped up. It went from total devastating betrayal to forgiveness and HEA in a few scant minutes (audiobook so probably a few paragraphs in the physical book). Would have liked more about that part of Nami and Jae’s road to forgiveness

Enemies to lovers...from high school to the corporate world. This book was a fantastic read! I really loved getting to know the characters and to really feel all the feels from heartbreak, to rage, to falling head over heels. The banter between the two main characters will have you rolling with laughter!

There is insight into how big corporations take over small companies and the cut throat business involved. It makes you cheer for the "little man" as they try to survive and keep their culture. Nami's tech company is a fun place to work, so you don't want the takeover to happen.

The story is told in the two main character's point of view. The reader gets to see inside each of their families, their personal lives, and the obstacles they work to overcome. I loved this read, and I know many others will too!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

Quick and sweet read!

Nami is the millenial boss we are all dying to have. She goes to bat for employees and loves them like family.

This is an enemies to lovers story. So if that's your trope, this book may be for you.

The story is about the sale of Nami's company Toggle, she co-owns it with a few other people. The company is doing well, so well that they are considering going public, which is a HUGE deal for startups, and along comes Rainforest (cough cough Amazon). Jae, an old high school rival, is heading the team at Rainforest that is trying to buy Toggle.

This story is not only about Jae and Nami's inevitable relationship but also about family, and the fine line children of immigrants toe when it comes to respecting their parents and family, and making space for themselves.

I loved this book!

3.25 stars rounded down

This was a workplace romance I just couldn't connect with, especially coming off one that I particularly enjoyed. Any time it takes me longer than 3 days to get through a rom-com, I know I'm about to hit a wall, and I feel like this one may have me slumping hard.

Nami Reid is the founder of tech company Toggle, which is running out of money and about to be bought by super company Rainforest. Life hasn't been going her way, with her ex fiancé cheating on her at his bachelor party and her mother throwing her a surprise birthday party where no friends showed up. Dejected, she wishes on her birthday cake for the universe to send her her soulmate, but instead her former high school nemesis, Jae Lee, shows up, as vice president of acquisitions at Rainforest, ready to take over her company. Never wanting to sell unless absolutely necessary in the first place, now Nami is extra motivated not to let Jae win, yet again. The two haven't outgrown their high school ways, and each try to one up each other, but the hate competition quickly turns into sparks. When Jae chooses corporate loyalty over telling Nami important information about a potential deal with a new buyer, he risks losing her, but quickly rallies her rag tag team of employees to step up and save the day. There were a few sub plots in this one that didn't really add much to the story except for length, and I didn't find myself relating much to any of the characters. I did find the office prank dynamic to be mildly amusing, although a little drawn out. I'd recommend this one if you're into the childhood nemesis turned workplace rival trope.

An Asian Rom-Com??? I loved this book. I really enjoyed both of the main characters and how different this novel felt. I received an advanced copy of the audio book which truly helped my experience. I would definitely recommend this to someone else.

I listened to The Second You're Single last year and I really enjoyed that book. So when I saw she had a new one this year I knew I had to read it. This one started out a little slow for me for some reason. I really enjoyed all the characters (the mom was a little bit of a pain..Lol) in this book. I definitely had laugh out loud moments. I really enjoyed Nami and Jae Lee's competitiveness and banter. Once this start coming together you will definitely love this book. I found it really easy to follow. I can't wait for the next book from Cara. I would definitely recommend this sweet rom com!


Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin for allowing me to read this ARC in advance for my honest opinion.

Synopsis: Nami is living her dream running her own tech company. But when funding runs low, threatening to ruin everything, she might have to turn to the most unlikely person for help - her high school nemesis, Jae Lee.

Thoughts: This was a fun rivals to lovers rom com. I really loved the main character - always love to see a woman in stem, especially this one where she owns her own company! I really enjoyed the workplace aspect and the coworkers as the cast of side characters. They were fun and spunky and really rounded out the story. I didn’t like the male main character quite as much, he was more difficult to like I think by design though. If you’re a fan of rivals to lovers, workplace romance, low spice romances, definitely check this out! I had both an electronic and audio copy of this book and I will say the audio narrators definitely made the book for me!

Read this if you like:
💻 workplace romance
💻 rivals to lovers
💻 women in STEM

This was just ok for me. The relationship was awkward at best. The enemies to lovers thing was very uncomfortable as both Jae and Nami were very rude to each other. The crypto bits seemed very outdated as did the idea for the app and the high interest in takeover. Maybe if I had read this book 10 years ago it might have felt more trendy.

I liked this funny enemies to lovers, workplace rom com. On her birthday, Nami wishes for her soulmate, but instead got a guy from HS named Jae who she can’t stand. They competed to be valedictorian in HS, and while Nami always felt awkward Jae was the coolest guy in school.

Worse yet, he works for a company that takes over smaller companies and tears them apart, and now he’s coming for her startup. It’s more than a place to work for Nami, it’s also her family and she can’t bear to let it go.

She can’t ignore the chemistry between herself and Jae, and she’s slowly finding out that maybe he’s not the bad guy she thinks he is.

I liked the way Nami finally dropped her preconceptions about Jae, but actually talking to each other would help. Also they sometimes acted awfully childishly for people owning startups and taking over companies. 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

And here I thought The Second You're Single was a favorite of mine until The Takeover by Cara Tanamachi busted into my Kindle!
So this work place/enemies-to-lovers rom-com was a delightful and relatable novel.
The writing is witty and engaging, and the characters are lovable and memorable.
The characters are so likeable, believable and you can't help but root for them.
Right from the very beginning I found myself fully immersed in this tale.

Thank You NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

The Takeover is a fast paced rom-com about high school enemies turned adulthood enemies, making up competitions against each other wherever they go. This was a cute story and I flew right through it, but it was hard to believe two people well out of high school, where they were enemies, would still harbor such strong competitive and aggressive feelings toward each other as grown adults. The writing was just okay in some places... but again, I did fly right through it. So, if you like a fast-paced enemies to lovers rom-com there's a chance you will like this one. It just wasn't a top pick for me.

I thought this was a fun read. Nami and Jae Lee were high school enemies as Nami was a do-gooder, and Jae Lee sometimes broke the rules. In Nami's world, rules are made to be followed and there is only black and white. Jae Lee has had a life with some privilege, although he has pressure from his dad because he is the first born, and he sees things as having gray sometimes. He is a ruthless businessman and when he finds out Nami's company is in trouble and his company could possibly buy them out, he jumps at the chance to be challenged by Nami again. Also, eah one of their families and Nami's colleagues make a great addition to the story. Highly recommend reading this one to see where it goes. After all, they always say there's a thin line between love and hate.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

Ok, first of all, I honestly thought the writing in this was a bit cringe. I don't know the author's age but it seemed like they were trying to force gen z/millennial humor/language and it came out unnatural. I also think the whole premise and plotline were weird, and the third-act breakup and rushed ending didn't help either. The fact that two people that haven't spoken in years were still caught up in high school hatred and competition was also kinda crazy ngl. I get it, but it was too extreme. Also, the fact that she was a hall monitor was mentioned a billion times; We get it. I didn't want to DNF it for the review, but sadly I just didn't enjoy it as much as I would've liked to. P.S. The hell ramen scene was pretty funny though so points for that.

This cover is so cute! I love it. I love the rivals to lovers trope. Nami's life is not where she thought it would be. Her start up is the only good thing that is until her highschool rival comes in to take it over. Jae Lee was her constant competition all through highschool. Now he is trying to take the one thing she has that she is proud of. When they have to work close together will their hearts become involved? I loved this fun romcom. The story was so good and the romance was so sweet. I cannot wait to read more by this author.Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc in exchange for my honest review.